Treatment of fabrics



Patented Oct. 2, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE HOLLAND ELLIS, F SPONDON, NEAR DERBY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO OELANESE CORPORATION OF AMERICA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TREATMENT OF FABRICS.

No Drawing. Application filed December 3, 1926, Serial No. 152,515, andin Great Britain July 27, 1926.

This invention relates to the treatment of woven, knitted or otherfabrics and especially fabrics made with or containing threads or yarnscomposed of or COIIIPIIS- ing filaments or fibres of cellulose acetateor other cellulose esters or cellulose ethers,-- for the purpose ofrendering them less liable to or immune from development of faultscaused through lack of cohesion or low ooefiicient of friction existingbetween the threads or yarns of the fabrics at their points of crossingor interlooping.

In the case of woven fabrics these faults are commonly referred to asslipping, the

i5 term indicating that stresses in usage or in processes subsequent toweaving cause the threads of one component (i. e. the warp or weft) toslip over those ofthe other and produce, at the point of slipping,uneven distribution of the warp threads or Weftthreads. The fault isleast observable in closely woven fabrics having a high number of reedand pick, and is most likely to occur in fabrics with a small number ofcrossings (i. e. points of contact of warp and weft) per unit area.

In the case of circular knitted fabrics or other weft-knitted fabricsthe fault is commonly known as laddering and is caused by a line orseries of loops in the fabrics on breakage of a loop or thread) becomingdrawn out of or slipping out of the adjacent loops through which theyare threaded in the structure of the fabric, owing to lack of cohesionor low coefficient of friction at the points of contact of the loops, sothat a ladder-like defect results; while in thecase of warp-knittedfabrics the fault is commonly known as splitting and vis produced by thefabric splitting continuously along a wale of the fabric without tearingif a cuthappens to be made lengthwise in the middle of the Wale in adirection towards the beginning of the fabric, such splitting beinglikewise due to lack of cohesion or low 'coefficient of frictionexisting between the threads of the fabric.

It has now been found that by subjecting woven, knitted or otherfabrics,and especially fabrics made with or containingthreads or yarnscomposed of or comprising filaments or fibres of cellulose acetate orother process of the present invention, their tendency to develop thefaults of the character referred to is greatly minimized or eveneliminated.

The precise reason for the eiiicacy of the process of the presentinvention is not en tirely clear, but it may possibly be due to thepenetrative or wetting out properties of the substances applied ashereinafter described, whereby the filament or fibre units.

of the yarns (by this penetration of the interstices as well as of theirown substances) are possibly opened out and swollen in a manner whichincreases the binding power of the threads or yarns to produce a moreresistant fabric.

According to the present invention, for the purpose referred to, Woven,knitted or other fabrics,-and especially fabrics made with or containingyarns or threads composed of or comprising filaments or fibres ofcellulose acetate or other cellulose esters or cellulose e thers,aresubjected to simple or repeated application, by impregnation with strongaqueous solutions or dispersions of one or more bodies known to have asolubilizing or dispersing power for water-insoluble or relativelywater-insoluble dyestufis, that is to say a power of renderingwaterinsoluble or relatively water-insoluble dyestuffs soluble orcapable of high dispersion in water. In the subsequent description andclaims such bodies are referred to as dispersing agents and theiraqueous solutions and dispersions are referred to collectively oleic,stearic, palmitic, and the other higher fatty acids and sulphonated orother derivatives thereof containing salt-forming, groups (e. g. thesulpho group or the carboxyl group or both sulpho and carboxyl groups)and soluble salts of such acids or derivatives, for instance theiralkali or ammonium salts or mixtures of two or more of such acids and/orderivatives and/or salts; for the sake of brevity all such acids,,derivativcs and salts and mixtures are herein included in the termbody-of oily or fatty characteristics.

Carbocyclic compounds containing in their structure one or moresalt-forming groups (such as sulphonic, carboxyl or hydroxyl groups),whether the compound contains only one kind of these groups or differentkinds of these groups at the same timeand sodium or other soluble saltsof said compounds; or mixtures of any of such carbocyclic compoundsand/or salts, or mixtures of one or more thereof with one or more of theaforesaid bodies of oily or fatty characteristics. As instances of saidcarbocyclic compounds and salts may be mentioned naphthenic acids,naphthene sulphonic acids, or other carboxylic or sulphonic acids of thecycloparafiins; henols, sulphonic acids, carboxylic acids, penolsulphonic acids or other derivatives of the benzene, naphthalene oranthracene series containing one or more salt forming groups, or otherderivatives of saturated or non-saturated cyclic hydrocarbons containinone or more salt-forming groups, and so ium or other soluble salts ofany of these compounds.

Sulpho aromatic fatty acids, such for instance as sulpho-benzene stearicacid (Twitchell reagent), or derivatives thereof such as sulp'hophenolstearic acid, sulphonapthalene stearic acid, sulphobenzenericinoleicacid, sulphophenolricinoleic acid, sulphonaphthalene ricinoleic acid, orsodium or other soluble salts of such acids or derivatives, or mixturesof any of such and/or derivatives and/or salts.

Soluble resin soaps, or sodium or other soluble salts or soaps of resinacids.

For the purpose of the present invention it has been found that, of thedispersing agents hereinbefore referred to, the salts and the mixturesof the free acids or saltforming c'ompounds with the salts whether ofthe same or of different acids or salt forminglpompounds are especiallyuseful. carrying out the process of the present invention the oods maybe subjected to the impre ation y any suitable means, but I have mindthe machine known as the pad ding mangle to be particularly suitable.

This a paratus provides for the passage of the fa ric' through thestrong aqueous solution of. one or more dispersin agents, followed by asqueeze between ro lers, so that excess. of liquor is expressed,rendering subsequent rollin vup or other manipulation more easy.e'aqueous solutions may be applied at any suitable temperatures andconcentrations, but I have found the best results to be achieved withhot li uors at about (3., or, where the fabric W111 withstandthemboiling temperatures. .Further, I have found that the most favorableresults are obtained when employing the dispersing agents inconcentrations of over about 10%; andlthat especiall favorable resultsare obtained when emp oying, for the purpose of the present invention,aqueous I solutions or dis ersions of sodium or potassium salts of 0eic, palmitic, stearic, ricinole1c or like fatty acids, or of thesulphatcd fatty acids such as the well known Turkey red oil of commerce,the last named being very effective.

After the impregnation and squeeze, the goods are preferably piled orrolled up to avoid evaporation and cooling and left for a number ofhours, conveniently overnight in commercial working, then after thismaturing period, scoured as desired, and dried, or passed direct to anysuch subsequent processing as dyeing or printing. The impre nationprocess may be repeated in Wine case after scouring off the first time,the fabric is preferably dried in open width, as for instance on thewell known continuous tentering machine, before the second impregnatlon.

The following example of one practical form of execution will serve toillustrate how the invention ma be carried out, it being understood thatthis is given by way of lllustration only and is in no way limitative.

Example.

40 .kgr. of a fabric woven of artificial silk warp and weft (forinstance cellulose acetate artificial silk) are impregnated in a paddingmangle with a Turkey red oil solution of 45% fatty acid content.Thesqueeze rollers are applied so as to leave in the fabric about20'kgr. of the solution which shows a temperature of 80v C. during theapplication. The fabric is batched or rolled up on a suitable roller andleft overnight. T e next day the fabric is scoured in 0 en width in asolution of sodium oleate o 5 grams per litre strength at 75 C. for onehour, for example on the jigger machine familiar in the dyeing arts. Itis afterwards well rinsed, hydro-extracted and dried on the continuousThe impregnation process is reclip tenter.

b the maturing jected to the above described processes for preventive orameliorative treatment in respect of this liability.

While the'process of the present invention is of especialvalue fortreating fabrics made with or containing yarns or threads composed of orcomprising filaments or fibres of cellulose all of which are hereinafterin the claims referred to as fabrics comprising organic substitutionderivatives of cellulose acetate or other esters or ethers of cellulose,it may with'advantage be applied to fabrics made with or containingyarns or threads composed of or comprising other filaments are thenpassed III or fibres, for instance natural silk, artificial silks of thecellulosic type, (e. g. cuprammonium silk, viscose silk, nitrocellulosesilk and the like), cotton, wool and so forth.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Process forthe treatment of fabrics to render them less liable to develop faults,comprising impregnating the fabrics with strong aqueous solutions ofdispersing agents.

2. Process for the treatment of fabrics to render them less liable todevelop faults, comprising impregnating the fabrics with aqueoussolutions of dispersing agents of at least 10% strength.

3. Process for the treatment of fabrics comprising organic substitutionderivatives of cellulose to render them less liable to develop faults,comprising impregnating the fabrics with strong aqueous solutions ofdispersing agents.

4. Process for the treatment of fabrics comprising organic substitutionsderivatives of cellulose to render them less liable to develo faults,comprising impregnating the fabrics with aqueous solutions of dispersingagents of at least 10% strength. i

5. Process for the treatment of fabrics comprising organic substitutionderivatives of cellulose to render them less liable to develop faults,comprising impregnating the fabrics with strong aqueous solutions ofdispersing agents and batching them for a predetermined time.

6. Process for the treatment of fabrics comprising organic substitutionderivatives of cellulose to render them less liable to develop faults,comprising impregnating the fabrics with strong aqueous solutions ofbodies of oily or fatty characteristics.

7 Process for the treatment of fabrics comprising organic substitutionderivatives of cellulose to render them less liable to develo faults,comprising impregnating the fabrics with aqueous solutions of at least10% strength of bodies of Oily or fatty characteristics and batchingthem for a predetermined time.

8. Process for the treatment of fabrics comprising organic substitutionderivatives of cellulose to render them less liable to develo faults,comprising impregnating the fabrics with an aqueous solution of at least10% strength of a sulphonated fatty acid compound and batching them fora predetermined time.

9. Process for the treatment of fabrics comprising cellulose acetate torender them less liable to develop faults, comprising impregnating thefabrics with strong aqueous solutions of dispersing agents.

10. Process for the treatment of fabrics comprising cellulose acetate torender them less liable to develop faults, comprising impregnating thefabrics with aqueous solutions of dispersing agents of at least 10%strength.

11.- Process for the treatment of fabrics comprising cellulose acetateto render them less liable to develop faults, comprising impregnatingthe fabrics with strong aqueous solutions of dispersing agents andbatching them for a predetermined time. I

12. Process for the treatment of fabrics comprising cellulose acetate torender them less liable to develop faults, comprising impregnating thefabrics with strong aqueous solutions of bodies of oily or fattycharacteristics.

13. Process for the treatment of fabrics comprising cellulose acetate torender them less liable to develop faults, comprising impregnating thefabrics with aqueous solutions of at least 10%, strength of bodies ofoily or fatty characteristics and batching them for a predeterminedtime.

14. Process for the treatment of fabrics comprising cellulose acetate torender them less liable to develop faults, comprising impregnating thefabrics with an aqueous solution of at least 10% strength of asulphonated fatty acid compound and batching them for a predeterminedtime.

15. Process for the treatment of fabrics comprising cellulose acetate torender them less liable to develop faults, comprising impregnating thefabrics with strong aqueous solutions of Turkey red oil.

16. Process for the treatment of fabrics comprising cellulose acetate torender them less liable-to develop faults, comprising impregnating thefabrics with aqueous solutions of Turkey red oil of at least 10%strength and batching them for a predetermined time.

17. Process for the treatment of fabrics comprising cellulose acetate torender them less liable to develop faults, comprising impregnating thefabrics with a Turkey red oil solution of 415% fatty acid content,batching for a predetermined time and then scouring.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name, this 12th dayof November,

GEORGE HOLLAND ELLIS.

